


Blue

by AppleOfEris



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 03:44:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17337965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleOfEris/pseuds/AppleOfEris





	Blue

Coras POV

I hear her screaming from the bathroom, and my heart drops. I fling myself out of bed, terrified she is hurt. “Georgia! What’s wrong?” the words spurt from my lips in a messy scramble.  
“Oh my… “ her voice chokes. Without a second thought, I hurtle into the bathroom. I can’t comprehend what my eyes insist is reality. I open my mouth, but no words come tumbling from my lips. Georgia lies naked in her bath tub, her bare chest heaving in panic. I swallowed thickly. Her short blond hair halos her head like golden veins. Panicked eyes stare soullessly forward, so I follow her gaze to the stunning tail in the place her legs should have been. Her breathing picks up, and I fear she will start having a panic attack. Logically I know some kind of calming intervention is called for, but I completely freeze. Because tail and naked and blond and beautiful and scared and tail tail tail tail… instead of helping, I end up trying to imagine how I would feel if I went from human to Mer in a matter of seconds. I can’t. I only know the way I have always been, I doubt the sight of my tail will ever frighten me the way it has her. Drifting in my strange state of panic, I absently note that her now curved and deadly sharp nails are carving crevices in the side of the bath. Her grandmother would have been livid back in the day, I think to myself. Clarity reclaims my mind with the abrupt intensity of a lightning strike. Without pausing to think, I scoop Georgia out the bath, and stumble towards her bedroom. I can feel the water dripping onto my legs, and curse. I have a matter of seconds . I make it to the bed just as my legs transform into their baser form. The two of us lie there, and I pant from the force of postponing the change. Georgia’s eyes look unfocused, and a pitiful whimpering sound resonates from the back of her throat. “It’s okay, “ I murmur, resting my forehead on her shoulder. “It’s okay. “  
“Did you do this to me? “ she croaks. I wince, even though it’s a fair accusation. Us Merfolk are notoriously tricky. Georgia is usually one of the most tolerant people I know . She’s stood up for me countless times at school, when the girls called me a sleazy cunt fish, and when the boys offer to teach me why the human anatomy is superior to a mers. I know most mers don’t have someone like Georgia, though there are very few places left that are as speciesist as Clifton. It still breaks my heart that Georgia thinks me capable of causing her any kind of pain. By the time I raise my head, I can see that her pupils have fully contracted, and the silver irises have completely swallowed the whites of her eyes. “OH my gods, Georgia, “ I exhale.  
Her mer side is quickly taking over. She growls softly, and her fully extended canines flash in the twilight of the room. Her teeth snag on her uncalloused lip, drawing blood. Her tongue darts out and laps it up with intentionally tantalizing strokes. I feel myself running short on air in a way that has nothing to do with the sealed gills that mark my side. In a fluid motion, Georgia grips my arms and flips me over so her naked weight presses down on mine. My heart beats faster at the sudden powerless of my position. I become hyper aware of her tail, mindlessly rubbing against mine. My tail twitches desperately, and Georgia responds. With nothing more than a flick of her hip, she has her powerful tail curled in restrictive circles around mine. Mine instinctively wrap around hers, so my whole body is ensnared in her embrace. I groan helplessly, nearly ready to surrender myself to the situation on that feeling alone. My face is yanked up by her hand, the claws pinching my skin.  
“Mine? “ she whimpers in a guttural voice.  
“Yours, “ I consent, the word pouring out faster than I could contain it.   
Without another moments preamble, Georgia bowed her head and buried her teeth deep inside my neck. My body arches against hers, at the flood of stimuli entering my nervous system. I can feel her labored breath hot against me skin, and the frantic beating of her heart through swollen breasts. A moment later I let the wave of temptation overcome me, and clamp my own canines down on her exposed neck. Her body twitches, then settles. We remain still for a few seconds longer, as the bond between us solidifies . I release her neck, and she follows suite, taking great care to lap up the swollen beads of blood she leaves behind. My head feel heavy, so I allow it to loll to the side. Georgia faffs for another minute, raking her clawed fingers through my hair, and nuzzling the crook of my neck with her cheek. She goes boneless the moment the adrenaline runs out, and her tail morphs back to legs. I realize I already shifted back. Georgia rolls off of me, but draws me close into her arms. I shudder at the proximity of our bare skin, and the way her arms and legs wind themselves protectively around each other. She falls asleep within moments, leaving me to wonder what the fuck just happened. And if the backlash would be just enough to break us.

  
I have never felt so warm in my life. Hot puffs of air moisten my neck. I feel her heart pump lethargically around her motionless body, and a pair of eyelashes flutter against my cheek. I tighten my arms around her, drawing her beautiful fire closer to me. She sighs softly, and something in the contented way she does it jolts me into consciousness. My brain takes in the situation and a bolt of panic has me scrambling backwards.  
“What…. What? “ I stutter, tumbling off the bed. I realize I am naked and desperately grasp for the blanket, to retain a sliver of modesty. Cora is completely awake when I glance upwards, her eyes panicked like a deer in the headlights.  
“It’s not what it looks like! “ she blurts out.  
A foreign growling noise escapes my throat. The shock of the sound is enough to turn my anger to fear. Cora sees the shift in my demenour immediately, but the growling noise increases when she makes a move to come closer.  
“Georgia, just hear me out, “ she pleads. She pulls a sheet around her body, making it somewhat easier to concentrate.  
“Last night, I think we pod bonded, “ she says, gesturing to her face. It takes me a second to realize what she means; one of her sea green eyes has been replaced by a flickering silver one.  
“Holy shit! “ I exclaim, as a new thought occurs to me. Mer people consider pod bonds to be sacred, and last a lifetime. Considering they cant die of natural causes and only be killed, this can be a very long time. Pod mates is more than family, it is the people who you devote your life to, and share your very soul with. And in a matter of minutes I had taken away her choice.  
“I am so sorry, “I whisper, my hands raised to cover my mouth in horror.  
“I never meant to force this on you, I am truly sorry, “  
Cora looks confused, “ Sorry for what? “ she asks gently  
“I know pod bonds are special to your kind, I never wanted to steal this from you, to tie you to this commitment. I would never hurt… “ But I had, I realize in disgust. I had hurt her in an irreversible, primitive way.  
“Georgia… oh gods you have no idea, do you? You becoming a mer…it’s the single most selfish yet tempting thing I could ever wish for. To me, we were already bonded, I just didn’t think you’d ever be able to reciprocate. “  
“Oh, “ I sigh in relief. Cora huffs in amusement. I start climbing to my feet, keeping the blanket wrapped securely around my torso.  
“How much of last night do you remember anyway? ” she inquires. I let the memories wash over me. Flashes of images, and slivers of emotion press past the haze of oblivion, but not much else.  
“The important parts, I think. I chew on my lip for a moment. “What do we do now? I mean, school starts in a week, and I’m not sure people will even recognize me. “  
A flash of fear contorts her face, before she swallow it down forcefully. “We’ve got time to make a plan. For now, let’s focus on the baby steps. “  
“Like finding some clothes, “ I suggest.   
To my eternal surprise, Coras cheeks darken in embarrassment. Her expression was so adorable I feel mine do the same.  
Cora scoffs loudly, “God’s we are pathetic.” I snort my agreement, scooping up my blanket and going to grab a shirt.  
I hear shuffling from behind me and the door creaks shut. I exhale sharply, feeling weirdly off balance without Coras presence. Baby steps, I assure myself, tugging a baggy shirt and pair of swimming shorts on. I get distracted halfway through though, tracing my fingers over the silvery lines on the side of my torso, and the faint formation of scales that stretch from my elbow to my hand. I pause wonderment when I realize all of my scars, bruises and skin imperfections had completely faded. A twisted sense of foreboding bubbles up in my gut when I think of how different my face must look. I had never been a pretty girl, so the transformation probably altered almost all my facial features.  
I wonder for a second if my gran will still recognize me, before scoffing painfully at the stupidity of the thought. For the last year her eyesight, hearing and mind had been slipping into the cold oblivion of old age. Even if she is my guardian, the changes of her noticing any difference is minimal. I will just have to be careful when mom visits, I think, before discarding that thought too. Mom hasn’t come round in more than a year.   
I’ve just finished putting on the shorts when I hear Cora clearing her throat from behind me. “Couldn’t last another second away from my glorious awesomeness? “ I tease in a way that is comfortingly familiar to our relationship. But the way she looks at me, like she secretly thinks I might not be wrong, sends an alien shiver across my skin. “Screw you and your self appointed awesomeness, you cow, “ she quips playfully, and we shift back into familiarity.  
“So…“ I question, stepping toward her, “What now?”  
She hesitates. “Let’s go to the beach. I can show you the basics, splash around a bit.” She sees my hesitance. “Come on,” she whines, “I’ve seen the pictures you draw of me swimming. Wouldn’t you like to know how it feels?”  
“No,” I say stubbornly, trying to pretend the idea of growing a tail isn’t incredibly intimidating. Somehow I think she sees right through me  
“Fine,” she folds. “You can bring your art book and I will swim, just like always.”  
I eye her sceptically, trying to find the catch. “Come oooonnn… “ she grouches, grabbing at my hand. I let her pull me out the door, book and pencils under my arm.  
It’s a mercifully short walk between the cottage and the beach. My sublet sits meters from my grans cottage. More than enough privacy for a socially misplaced teenager and her best friend the mer.  
The beach is by no means exotic, but the warm sand, chalky rocks, gentle breeze and bobbing waves help it get the job done just the same.   
We reach the shoreline, and Cora sighs. She strips her shirt quickly, Leaving only her swim suite. Her hands finger the bikini bottom, and I habitually look away. A faint scuffle of rocks is the only thing that gives away the her graceful dive into the ocean. At least I assume it’s graceful, I’ve always felt too embarrassed about her nudity to watch. When I look again, Cora is nowhere in sight. My chest twitches and causing my hands to clamp into fierce fists. An intense ache fills my body, like a raw gushing wound, it suddenness making me lightheaded. A guttural groan escapes my lips, and I begin desperately scrambling towards the water.   
The second my feet touch the water, I begin to change. My knees collapse, and suddenly Coras there, holding my trembling shoulders, and burying her face reassuringly into my neck.  
We sit on the rocks, the shallow waves passively swaying our entwined bodies   
“Oh my God’s,” Coras huffed, her voice thin. “ I knew you would feel a pull, but it’s not supposed to be so strong. I don’t understand.”  
“Maybe it’s not unusually strong. I’ve just never felt anything like it before. It was too much for me.” I suggest, my voice still sounding ragged and breathless.  
“Yeah, I guess that could make sense.” She sighs, and gently pulls away from my embrace, “Come on, let’s to back to the shore. I’ve had enough adventure for one day, and I’m not even the hero of the storey. Just the lousy sidekick with stupid, selfish ideas.   
Something about the way she said it makes my heart twitch in empathy. I pout in attempt to lighten the mood. “I’m no hero, child. I am villain, completely evil, right to the core.”   
“Sure you are, princess.” She smirks. “Now follow my lead and I’ll show you how it’s done.”  
I’ve seen Cora leave the water a thousand times, even drawn the way she manoeuvres her tail and claws at rocks to drag her forward. It’s much harder to execute than one would think. My tail scrapes roughly against the ground, and my hands struggle to find purchase. The how process of dragging my uselessly squirming tail behind me feels weirdly humiliating.  
Eventually we reach the smooth sand, and I allow my arms to collapse in exhaustion. The bottom half of my tail still splashes in the water, and I take a moment to admire it. It’s longer than my legs, and a million times more flexible. With a single thought, powerful muscle can send it twisting in any direction. Unlike Coras earthly green tail, mine shimmers an ethereal silver.   
“Not bad for a beginner,” Cora quips, drawing my eyes away from myself. The sight of her stretched across the Golden sand makes my stomach twist. She’s so beautiful, with her turquoise tail, amber hair and innocent blue eyes. Her skin is paler than the sand, but somehow seems to dull all the colours around her. She’s the most vibrant thing for miles, and the attraction I felt for her before my transformation has nothing on the supernova of heated lust in my heart, threatening to explode and burn me to ashes. I reach toward her, grazing my hand along the side of her face. If I had toes they would be curling at the rush of pleasure attained from such a simple act.  
“Georgia,” she groans. The sound jolts me out of the daze. I realize my canines had extended, and flushed. Anyone who knew anything about mer could tell you there are only two reasons a mers teeth would lengthen: when they feel threatened, or want to form a mer bond. Since we’ve already podbonded, the type of connection I was pining after must have been pretty obvious. I blush even harder, lowering my head.  
In a second, Coras leaps on top of me, and presses her lips heavily against mine. I find I can’t resist my urges any longer. I grip her firmly on the hips and flip her over, pressing my whole body down on her. My lips recapture hers, my heart thumping elatedly in my chest.  
A sudden noise to my left has my head snapping up, hands braced protectively on either side of her, my teeth bared in a vicious snarl. A boy of about sixteen stands barefoot on the sand, his mouth opened in shock.  
It’s alarmingly hard to snatch the mental reins back from merish instincts. Cora giggles, but something keeps me from looking down. I realize I don’t want to take my eyes off the threat.  
“You should leave,” I snarl at him. My short hair hangs in strangled rivets down my back, and I hope it does nothing to lesson my intimidation. The boy still hasn’t moved, but looks scared enough for me to resist the urge to growl again. “I’m not kidding,” I snap, “Fuck off before my legs grow back so I can walk over there and rip your head off… with my teeth.”  
This seems to do the trick. The boy spins round, stumbles, regains his balance, then takes off at full speed.  
I return my attention to Cora. A demanding primal instinct guides my body, and I lower my head to suck possessively on the side of her neck. My actions catch up with me, and I jerk back, once again mortified at my behaviour.  
Cora has a strange expression on her face. I’m terrified I’ve finally crossed a line. I start to squirm off her, but Coras tail tightness around mine. I realize they had wound together at some point. The feeling of hers rubbing against mine was nearly enough to send me over the edge again.  
“Georgia… you’re an alpha,” she whispers in awe.  
“No I’m not.” Comes the automatic reply “Alphas went extinct years ago.”  
Cora attempts a nonchalant shrug, but her body is still tense with shock. “At least alphas have been heard of before. Humans becoming mermaids is completely new.”  
“Ever the optimist,” I snark.  
She smiles for a second. “It was so weird. One minute we were… well, you know… and the next you’ve grown the longest, sharpest fangs I’ve ever seen, and your eyes have gone pitch black.”  
I open my mouth to respond when I feel a slight tremor in my tail. I realize the tide has receded far enough for our tails to completely dry. In a second I roll off her and make a spastic grab at our towels. I drape it over me just as the feeling of being tailed completely vanishes.   
“That was close,” I huff, “I nearly transformed back stark nake-“ My eyes find Cora, and my brain shuts down. She stands up, brazenly uncaring of her own partial nudity and smirks at my expression. “What? You’re a mer now. Being naked doesn’t mean much. Constantly shifting makes it a lot harder to hang onto clothes.”   
“If anybody ever sees you naked without your explicit permission I’ll rip they eyes out and show them up their-“ I halt half way through my threat. My fangs were out again, and my claws scrape scars into the rocks. “I think I may have a jealousy problem.” I squeak.  
“No shit,” Cora agrees, but I can see the fondness in her eyes. “It’s not surprising, really. Alphas were notoriously possessive.”   
I tighten the towel around me self consciously. “You don’t mind?”   
Cora walks over and picks up her bikini. She regards them thoughtfully for a moment, before pulling them on. The combination of disappointment and relief I feel is hardly surprising at this point.   
“You know me, Georgia. Any moment not being fussed over is a moment wasted. I laugh in relief.   
Cora just smiles, her eyes softer and warmer than I’ve ever seen them. “Come on, it’s been a long day my friend and podmate. Let’s go home.”  
“Can I put on my pants first?” I smirk teasingly. Cora swats at my arm. “You’re a real asshat, some times, you know that?”

  
We walk to Coras house in relative silence. After the first person we pass, I find myself slinging a protective arm over her shoulder. She sends me a questioning look, and I shoot her an apologetic one in return. The urge to make it crystal clear to every living creature that Cora was mine was overwhelming.   
We near the house, and Cora gestures for me to stop. “I should probably warn you that my mom’s reaction could be pretty extreme. Though she’s not technically in my pod, she still considers it her job to look out for me.” Cora visibly braces herself for her next words. “She hasn’t been in a pod since she was banished. That was so long ago that her pod had an alpha of its own. I can only guess how she will react to not only being around pod-bonded mers, but also to the presence of an alpha.”   
Coras expression is pained, her eyes downcast. “Hey,” I say, nudging her foot and squeezing her arm in what I hope is a comforting manner. “I’m sure your mom will be fine.” I reassure her. Cora laughs shakily, “It’s you I’m worried about, asshat. What if she flips out and starts attacking you?”  
“That’s a no-brainer ,” I taunt, “I’ll just throw you in front of me.” To my eternal concern, Cora looks slightly reassured by my comment. “Come on then,” she sighs, “let’s get it over with.”  
Cora strides toward the front door, and I think for a second about how different our houses are. My gran and I live much closer to the centre of town. Thousands of small holiday cottages are cramped together on a crumbling hill. The thin chalky was the cause of many nightmares in my youth, of my sublets foundation crumbling, and rolling at full speed into the frigid sea. Needless to say, we are one of the few perennial Clifton residents in the area.   
Coras house is almost the exact opposite. It sits majestically on solid rock, it’s three storey height looking down on all the two storey plebeian neighbour’s. A double lane road and a stretch of luscious grass is all that separates them from the beach. It’s always been downright impossible to not be jealous.   
I enter the house behind Cora with my body tensed and ready for a fight. “Mom?” she calls, “Don’t freak out, but we’ve got a bit of an unusual guest over.”   
The words must fall on deaf ears, because a moment later Toran flings herself from the shadows towards me. In a second she has her claws buried deeply in my neck. Cora screams and moves forward, but I issue a low growl, it’s meaning clear- this is my fight. After that, time slows down to a leisurely crawl. I grip both of her hands and yank them out my neck. I release them to spin around. With a single hand I take hold of her neck, and lift her squirming body into the air. A pitiful whine pushes past her lips and I understand it for what it is- concession.   
I release her immediately and her knees give as she tumbles to the floor. “Who are you?” she demands half heartedly, bringing a trembling hand up to her bruised throat.   
“I guess that answers our question about whether people would recognize you or not.” Cora pipes up from behind me. I realize with a jolt that I had left her completely undefended, and rush forward to envelop her in my embrace. Her heads slots in below my chin, and I realize distantly that I must have grown taller since the last time we hugged.   
“Are you okay?” I ask her softly. “Watching that must have been unpleasant.” She shrugs indifferently, though her eyes betray her. “ It was over before I even realized what was happening.” A lie, but I wasn’t about to call her out on it.   
I feel Torans eyes on us, so I turn to meet her gaze. Just like all mers, Coras mom doesn’t look a day over eighteen. Mers were kind of immortal in the way that the only they can die is to be killed. Which sounds like another existential crisis I will be having further along the road.   
“It’s a pretty long storey,” I tell her, “But in a nutshell I am Georgia and somehow became a mer.”  
Torans eyes widen comically, “Georgia? Oh my shit I am so sorry. I just sensed an alpha and went into auto drive.” She stands up shakily, running a hand through her dark hair. “It’s really okay.” I reassure her. Right now I’m queen of acting on instinct, without stopping to think. ”  
For some reason this causes Toran to flinch. I jump at the feeling of something warm and wet pressing against my neck. I realize Cora is licking at my wounds. My stomach clenched in very inappropriate arousal. She stops a moment later, and looks up at me in surprise. Her expression is so adorable I bite down the very human urge to kiss her nose. “The cuts are already healed,” she informs me. I frown, feeling slightly defensive. “What’s wrong with that? I thought all mers healed fast.” Torans snorts from where she’s standing. “All mers do heal fast. You just heal about seven times faster than that.”  
“Because I’m an alpha?” I ask, though it isn’t much of a question. Toran nods anyway. “ There are other bonuses as well,” she informs me cheekily, “But it will be way more entertaining to watch you figure them out yourself.”  
My mer takes immediate offense at her offhanded disrespect. For a second I image throwing myself at her, wiping the smug look from her face with brutal force. I see my clawed hands paint bloody lines across her trembling body, pulling her canines from her gums for their transgressions, and listening to her choke on her on blood in desperate haste to tell me what I want to know, so that I might spare her life.   
“Moooomm…” Cora groaned, and my hands tighten around her arms, terrified by the intensity of my own mind, and what I had vividly imagined.   
Toran must have seen the flashes of murderous intent in my gaze because she drops her eyes submissively. “Why don’t you stay for the night, Georgia, and I’ll do everything I can to help you figure it out in the morning.” She offers.   
I smile wanly at her, “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not sure that’s the best idea.” Cora tugs on my shirt. “Please?” she whines, “I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to separate at this point-“ I growl softly in agreement-“ and we slept at your house last night. Plus, we have real fish here , not that frozen shit you try to feed me when I come over.”   
“It’s not my fault that shitty fish is half the price,” I grouch. She looks at me imploring, her eyebrows raised to show Disapproval. “Fine.” I huff.   
“Good,” Cora says, “Come on, let’s put on some clean clothes before lunch.” She drags me away by the hand.   
Lunch was a unsurprisingly sordid affair. Toran remained intentionally stoic throughout, in a way that made me feel distantly sad. It was an extreme change from the warm smiles and comforting touches she used to give. For the most part, though, I was grateful for her careful behaviour. I don’t think I could have handled two homicidal daydreams within a matter of hours.   
Now that food is done, Cora and I head down to their private stretch beach. Cora has promised we won’t get wet, just lie in the sun. We lay out our towels, and stretch our cool bodies out on the beach. I recall a Bio lesson we had about the physical adaptation of mers, and how they are capable of changing to live in most environments. The same goes for body heat. As the sun warms my skin I can feel my core heat lowering, to prevent me from overheating. The feeling is strangely relaxing, and I slowly fall asleep.   
By the time I wake, the sun is much lower in the sky. During our sleep, both Cora and I had gravitated towards each other, so we lie in the sandy gap between our towels. My arms wrap around her smaller form with ease, and I wonder at how much I have grown. And not just in height, I realize, flexing a bicep. With that thought in mind I slowly stand, pulling Cora into my arms bridal style. Her eyes flutter awake, but it takes nothing more than a soft sound of reassurance for her to slip back into unconsciousness.   
I walk home as quickly and gently as I can. Thankfully I find the front door ajar. I’m heading towards her bedroom when I become aware of Toran staring at me from a kitchen stool.   
“You love her, don’t you?” she asks. It’s more of an observation than question, so I take my time with the response. “Yes,” I agree, “ I love her so much that it scares me.”  
Toran nods, “You are lucky to have her. She gives the Alpha in you purpose, direction. I shudder to think what you would have done with all that power, and no reason not to use it.”   
I swallow thickly. “That’s not the reason I… I mean even before I was an alpha I still… its just always been her. Right from the start there was no one else. And for the first time, it looks like I stand the chance of being with her, having her return even a fraction of my love”   
All through my talk, Torans icey expression had slowly melted. She sighs, saying, “You poor silly girls, you both were completely in love but utterly convinced the would never be able to reciprocate. My daughter is a fine reason to hold onto humanity, but in times of need, she will also be your motivation to loose it.”   
“I know.” I say simply, feeling faintly sick, and ready for the conversation to end, “I will see you in the morning.”  
I walk the rest of the distance to the bedroom with shaky breaths. I inhale her smell deeply, letting it run soothingly through my lungs.   
I put Cora to bed, and in a moment of weakness slide in with her. I pull her in close, quietly thank my new body for only needing one meal a day, before dropping into the darkness of contented oblivion.

Coras POV  
It’s always been just the two of us, mother and daughter, against the world. For me anyway. It’s hard to comprehend that at some point in time before I was born, mom was part of a pod. I can’t imagine her trusting other people with the type of faith the bond instils.   
I was twelve when I realized the way we lived wasn’t normal. We were being taught mer social studies at school, and our teacher explained how mers tended to live in groups, forming unbreakable bonds with each other.  
That afternoon I asked my mom why we were alone, and why we weren’t bound to each other. She told me she made the mistake of bonding many years ago. Her whole pod had been killed, and the pain she suffered because of it was nearly unbearable. She said she might have ended her life if it weren’t for the slight bulge stomach. She said that even for a mer, I took years longer than usual to grow in her stomach. When she finally gave birth, she took one look at my innocent face, and decided against initiating pod bonds. “If something ever happens to me one day,” she said, “I don’t want you to go through the same heart ache I did.”   
It had made sense, at the time. My mom, the hero, couldn’t stand the thought of hurting me.   
But now, lying here in Georgia’s arms, I can’t help resent her decision. Every moment I have with her is worth a thousand years of heart ache and loss. As long as we stay together now, in the moment, the future will never be able to reach us.   
It’s been a week since her transformation, and school starts today. We spent most of our time down at the beach, though I haven’t found the courage to bring up swimming again. Mom left the house early Wednesday morning, and came back hours later, bearing fake birth certificates, and adoption papers.   
Georgia and mom seem to be seeing eye to eye, though I’m not sure when that happened, or even how. I haven’t asked. I’m just grateful they seem to be getting along, despite the drastic power shift in Georgia’s favour. It’s weird hearing her authoritive voice directed at my mom, and even weirder when she listens.   
“Hey,” Georgia murmurs drowsily, “Go back to sleep.” I snort. “Can’t. We have school in an hour.”   
Georgia sights petulantly, her droopy eyes regarding me absently “I was kind of hoping you would forget.”  
“No chance,” I say, gently extracting myself from her embrace, “I’m way too excited.”   
“Liar,” she states blandly, and buries her head in the pillow. I notice her inhaling deeply into the spot where my head had lain, and swallow thickly. God’s, Georgia turned me on, and most of the time it was completely accidental. The thought sends a vibrant blush across my face, and I hastily stride to my cupboard, least she notice it.   
“Come on, it won’t be that bad. We have each other’s backs, just like always. Nothing can go wrong that we can’t fix together.” I encourage her.   
With my back still turned, I strip and hastily get dressed. When I look back, her head is till buried in the pillow.   
“Denial is for the weak of will. Pain is just strength leaving the body. Strength grows in the moments when you think you cant go on but keep going anyway. Power comes-“   
“Shut the fuck up and I’ll do whatever you freaking want, you conniving bitch.”  
I just laugh, already used to her foul morning moods.   
“All I ask is that you get your pretty ass up, out of bed and fully dressed by the time I come back with breakfast.” Georgia huffs, and starts the long process of dragging herself out of bed. I sigh fondly, and wander slowly towards the kitchen. It was going to be a long day.

School went about as well as predicted. We may as well have walked around with a spotlight aimed at us, for all the attention we got. Not that I could fault my peers. Georgia’s beauty was enough stir arousal in even the most speciesist students.   
By the time first lesson ended, she was squirming in discomfort. We filed out into the hall and she immediately slung her arm across my shoulder. I looked at her questioning and she grimaced, and said, “I can’t stand them all looking at you. It makes me feel homicidal.” Her eyes dart around the halls, “I want to rip all their heads off, just for daring to turn and watch as you go past.” My protest that Georgia was the source of fascination fell on deaf ears.   
We lasted right up until the last hour of school before the inevitable happened. Both of us were seated at our table, our hands joined tightly in mutual reassurance. Matthew approached us and I held back a groan. His confident saunter came to a halt at our desk, and his eyes stared confidently at hers.   
“Hey new girl. You look like you could use a tour of the school. What do you say we ditch English and go check out the bleachers?” His friends, who had congregated at his side in record time, sniggered stupidly and patted him on the shoulder.   
I can saw the tips of her canines sharpen “That’s alright,” she said coldly, “I’m a lot more satisfied here than I would be there. Stop pretending to a man, when the best fuck you have on your CV is a slutty freshman who’s probably spread a lot more than just her legs, if you get my drift.”   
His eyes flickered over to me, and he snorted, “You’d rather hold hands with this seacunt than come have a good time? She must be an incredible lay. You know what they say about good girls.”   
Georgia’s patience snapped so aggressively I could almost hear it. I directed a pacifying hand at her arm, only to find her already in motion. She moved at such a pace that her punch goes unseen by most. Matthew collapsed to his knees, wheezing. “What did you do?” I ask, aghast.   
“Just reminded him that with great self-proclaimed power comes great externally provided consequences.” She must have seen some thing in my expression because she hastily clarified, “I punched him in the balls.” The teacher chose that moment to enter. Matthew muttered a few squeaky threats, before waddling over to his desk. The rest of the lesson passed without trouble, much to my relief.   
When the final bell rang we basically ran out of the building, holding hands. We came straight to the beach. Two hours later, and we are still here.   
“Hey,” Georgia interrupts my thoughts, “I’ve been thinking and… I want to swim. With you.” She blushes slightly, “If that’s okay?”   
I grin, pushing aside my physics homework. “More than okay,” I assure her. We stand in unison, and I watch her from the corner of my eye. Her transformation seems to have finally settled, now that she looks like a goddess, and is about a head taller than before. I pull off my clothing, turning my back automatically to give her some privacy. I walk slowly towards the water, Georgia following a step behind.   
“It’ll be easier if you dive,” I tell her. Inhaling deeply, I bend my legs, then release them like springs, arching gracefully into the waves.   
Georgia follows almost immediately. The water is clear, and beams of sunlight penetrate the lazy blue waves. I watch from underwater as Georgia hurtle into the water, a thousand bubbles bouncing off her flawless, golden skin.   
I watch as her legs turn to a tale, and struggle to resist the urge to touch it. Even Georgia has been around long enough to know what a sensitive area it is.   
For a second she panics as she realizes air is no longer entering her nose. Her hand fly to her neck, where her finger graze her gills and she shudders.   
“This is so weird,” she confines in me, which I can hear perfectly due to our pod bond allowing communication.   
“Yeah,” I agree, “Now follow me and try keep up. I’m going to show you why all humans are dumbasess for thinking the surface is prettier than the ocean.   
Georgia’s POV  
We settle into a routine surprisingly quickly. We suffer through school, enduring speciesist and sexist remark from most of the pupils. It takes a lot out of me to not kill them for insulting my Cora. I don’t think I could withstand the temptation were it not for Coras easy indifference in regards to our classmates.   
In the afternoons we lie on the rocks, doing homework and taking breaks to swim.   
I haven’t kissed Cora in over a week. Deep down I know she is waiting for me to initiate it, but fear keeps me from acting. After everything that has happened, I think the rejection would kill me.   
It was Wednesday when the strange feeling started. My muscles cramped, like I was being squeezed alive by a metal box. A bonedeep itch tore through my body, making my hands twitch with the urge to scratch. I thought I was going crazy at first. The feeling would come in waves, washing over me at random times and making me squirm. Today is Friday, and it only seems to be getting worse.  
I try to act natural, but I think Cora has noticed my pained expressions. I’ll have to come clean soon. For all I know, she’ll know what’s wrong and be able to help.

Georgia’s POV   
“Tell me what’s bothering you,” cora demands, making me jump. We have been lying on the rocks for hours, the bottom half of our tails submerged deep enough in the lapping water that we remain mer.   
“I won’t lie to you,” I whispers candidly, after a moment of deliberation. She nods her head encouragingly, and I sigh.   
“My muscles have been aching,” I admit, “And my skin itches.”   
She looks at me in confusion, “Those are all symptoms of not reverting to your mer form frequently enough. Like the bodies way of reminding us what we really are. But that doesnt make sense, we basically swim every day.”  
I huff haplessly. “I’m sorry for making this you’re problem. Now youre going to feel obligated to help me.”   
“I’m afraid my motives for helping you are a little less innocent than a sense of obligation.” She says it so shyly, I almost laugh. The vulnerable expression on her face stops me cold.   
Without another word, I swoop in and capture her lips with mine. A sense of fulfilment settles in the pit of my stomach, and I groan into her mouth with arousal and relief.   
I lie awkwardly across the sand, propping myself up by the elbows. She turns her body to face me, and an untamed primal instinct purrs in contentment.   
Cora is mind-blowingly responsive beneath my apprehensive touch. Her whole body twitches and squirms, her fingers dragging desperately across my shoulders and collar bone. I realize disconcertingly that she missed this as much as I did.   
I break apart feeling breathless, but taking great satisfaction at the needy pants falling from Coras parted lips.   
“Come on,” I say, smiling smugly, “Let’s head back.”

Coras POV   
We walk home hand in hand. I try to take comfort in our close proximity, and the way her hand squeezes mine like a lifeline. Instead my stomach twists with dread.   
I have no idea what is wrong with Georgia. In hindsight I should have predicted something like this happening. People don’t just change species without there being any unprecedented side effects.   
We arrive at the house, and something causes Georgia to hesitate. She seems to be bracing herself, and for a second I am reminded of her first afternoon as a mer all those months ago.   
She opens her mouth to say something, but the expression in her eyes is sad enough that I know I don’t want to hear it.   
“Come on,” I say, tugging her inside, “Let’s go get something to eat.”   
My mom left yesterday on a business trip, so we have the house to ourselves. Georgia seats herself on the kitchen table, and watches as I gather an assortment of food out the fridge. Laying it out on the table, we both cut and prepare the salad and vegetables in a way then is heartwarmingly familiar.   
By the time weve cooked the fish, the sun is burying its warm face into the welcoming arms of the sleepless ocean.   
We eat in silence, both of us being carried by the current of our jumbled thoughts. I notice Georgia suddenly tense beside me, her hands gripping the sides of the table.   
“Cora,” she says my name with such weight that for a second I feel too weak to shoulder them. Her hands carding through my hair lends me strength, and I subconsciously lean into her touch.   
“I just want to say that although the day I turned mer was possibly the scariest of my life, it was also the greatest. It marked the beginning of us, together as family and podmates and more, and the best days of my life. I don’t think there’s anything in this world I wouldn’t give to make you happy, and keep you safe.”   
My heart starts pounding, and my breath hitches, “Why are you saying this?” I whisper, terrified of the answer. Georgia’s face is contorted in pain, and the grip she has on the table is so tight it creaks.   
“I’m saying it because it true,” the words are slightly slurred, like each passing second makes them harder to say.   
Blood roars in my ears, and my heart beat ascends to full out panic speed. I am by her side in a second kneeling down by her chair. Her body gives a violent shudder, causing her to slide off her seat, and onto my lap.   
With our bodies pressed together, I realize I am trembling almost as much as she is. Panic and shock eat away all thoughts of logic. It’s hard to comprehend that just hours ago we had lain on the beach, dozing off and kissing under the lazy sun.   
My mer instincts are going crazy. My nails are long, my teeth extended. My body is ready to fight and protect, but this is not something I can save her from.   
Georgia reacts to my distress, her eyes glowing silver, and her canines are so long they don’t fit in her mouth. A  
Georgia gives a horrible scream, her clawed fingers slicing through the marble floor like butter. A second later she scrambles off me, pushing herself frantically towards the corner of the room. I feel frozen in place, unable to move towards her.   
With one final blood curdling scream, Georgia’s body begins to shift once again.   
The charge happens in less than a second. Where Georgia crouched only a moment ago, now lies a massive black animal. It’s sides heave in aching gulps of air, and it’s large paws twitch weakly.   
I shuffle towards it on all fours, until I can see its face. A panther, I realize in awe. The facts of the situation finally fit together like a highly unconventional puzzle.   
In our dimension, we had two types of people; those of the land, or the sea. We had very little to do with each other. Land people lived far inland, and mer hardly ever ventured past the shore.   
What was common knowledge, however, was that just like us, land people were shapeshifters. Unlike us, they tend to shift into different types of creatures, instead of just the one. They also have more control over their change, capable of shifting back and forth at will. Expect for the night of the full moon.   
All these thoughts explode in my head, making it ache with their significance and magnitude. Like a oak tree trying to grow in a flower pot, I thought distantly, rubbing my face.   
A soft whining sound has my eyes flying to Georgia’s face. Silver eyes blink at me in confusion, and she looks so adorable my heart melts.   
Georgia’s POV

Holy shit. I thought I was dying. The pain was so much, I lost all my awareness of existence beyond the agony. I became a single minded thing that didn’t think or live or dream, only ache. Now I can feel my head clearing, the fog of animalistic agony receding.

My whole body feels wrong. Like the first time I grew a mer tale, instinct guides my movements. My eyes draw open, blinking owlishly at the assault of light and colour.

My gaze is instinctively drawn to Cora, who is kneeling by my head, and smiling from ear to ear.

“Oh my gods, how is it possible that you just got even cuter?” she squeals.

I do my best to glare at her, and her smile shortens but her eyes still shine. “I was so scared, I thought you were… I thought this was it. Instead it turns out your also a land shapeshifter as well as a mer.”

Oh, I think, at least that explains why I’m too scared to move… apparently I’m an animal right now.

Her expression quickly fades at my lack of response, “Hey it’s okay, I’m sorry for smiling I’m just so relieved that you’re alive. I forgot this must be terrible for you.” Her face is twisted with guilt.

She absently scratches the side of my head, a strange purring sound vibrates through my body. Her fingers feel amazing in my fur, but the noise I just made make me want to hide my face in shame.

I’m reminded of when I first became a mer, and how frightened I had been by all the strange sounds I had inadvertently made. Instead of fear this time, I feel frustration. I had only just got embarrassing tells more or less under control, now I was being faced with a whole set of new ones.

To my dismay, I realize I am growling. For the fist time since waking, I can see Cora looks unsure. My stomach twists with the thought that I could cause my packmate unease. Wanting to nullify her, I stretch my neck and give her knee a quick, reassuring lick.

Her smile slowly returns. “Come on,” she says, “Let’s try get you up.”

Good idea in theory, I think, but a lot harder in execution. I decide to start by taking stock of all my appendages. Where my hands and feet should be, I feel large padded paws. I clench my arms and legs, only to find them roughly the same length. An alien fifth appendage flicks in agitation being me, and I realize with a jolt that it’s a tale.

I move very slowly. I shift from lying on my side to my stomach. I find the lack of pain in my body faintly disconcerting. Considering my earlier agony, I should at least feel some residue stiffness.

Gaining confidence, I move into a sitting position. Taking a deep, calming breath and bracing myself for failure, I stand… and somehow remain standing. Its kind of like swimming with a tale, I think, somehow my body just knows what it’s doing.

I take a hesitant step towards Cora. She stands, and I am shocked that we stand almost at eye level.

Coras eyes go misty, and my heart aches for having put her in such a stressful situation. She looks down to hide her falling tears, but the smell of salt fills my nose. In attempt to comfort her, I gently rub my head against her shoulder. Her hands press into my fur, and the purr tears involuntarily from my chest once again.   
Cora giggles, and I take the opportunity to lick the tear tracks from her face. She smiles at me faintly, “How is it possible that after surviving agonizing pain, and a second species transfer, you are the one comforting me.”

I attempt to answer her, but the best I can do is a high pitched whining sound. Cora smiles gratefully at my attempt at communication. Now that the adrenaline is fading, I can see her eyes starting to droop.

I gently catch the hem of her shirt between my teeth. I drag her towards the couch, and Bob my head at the tv.

“Good idea,” she says, flicking it on. We find a mind numbing cartoon to watch, and Cora collapses onto the couch.

I look sceptically at the two-seater. Instead of even attempting to squeeze on beside her, I lay down on the floor, my head resting on her feet. Cora falls asleep within seconds, but a strange sense of restlessness keeps me awake.

I realize I can feel the pull of the moon all land shapeshifters are subjective to. Moving with impossible stealth, I creep out into the garden.

The full moon seems the brightest I’ve ever seen it. My muscles bulge with the effort of restraining the need to run. I realize with a jolt that my current lucidity is an anomaly. Most shifters lost their minds to animalistic instincts, and all I felt was a slight longing to be free. From what, I wasn’t really sure.

Coras POV

I wake up with the profound feeling of solitude. I realize Georgia is no longer by my side, and I panic. I leap off the couch and stumble forward, only to be halted by the sight I see through our kitchen window.

A huge black panther is pacing the garden. My brain denies what my eyes insist is reality. Only when my memories from earlier come back into focus do I allow myself to breathe.

Georgia looks unnaturally beautiful, walking between our well tended to rose bushes and manicured grass. Her black coat shines in a way that seems to swallow up the light from the moon and stars.

Her ear twitches, and she turns to look at me. Our eyes meet, and I realize that in a world with so much suffering, hate and despair, it made sense that the occasional stand of love wove its way through our daily turmoil. It is just a matter of grabbing onto it, and nurturing it like a piece of your soul.

I see that love in her eyes, now. And I know she can see mine.

  
Wet lips. Hot breath. Sweaty hands.

I bear down on her, trapping her with all the reverent adoration a little girl would have for a fairy.

Our legs tangle together, twisting at impossible angles in our attempt at getting even closer.

I feel so good it hurts. My stomach twists and my throat contracts. I want to touch her and kiss her, prove to her that I am worthy.

My teeth nibble on the trembling arch of her neck. I want to claim her. I want to bond with her. I want to press my teeth into her throat, and coax a heady moan out of her panting chest, before she raises her teeth to me and claims me as well.

I freeze as soon as I feel my teeth lengthen in optimistic anticipation of my desires. It takes her a while to realize I’ve stopped. I take the moment to observe the woman I love.

Her hair arcs around her face like a heavenly glow. Logically I know she isn’t perfect, no one is. But when I lie over her body like this, and look down at her flushed face and wide blown pupils, it’s hard to imagine her as anything short of an angel.

“What’s wrong,” she asks, after regaining enough of her cohesiveness.   
I bite my lip, hesitant to tell her. My canines catch on my bottom lip, and I growl reflexively at the taste of blood. Even through I’ve gotten my body more or less under control, I find it has become increasingly difficult to keep my canines short, and my eyes human. Unintentional noises are even worse, and I keep making them at the most inopportune moments. It probably has something to do with being part panther, but I’m not sure.

“Nothings wrong,” I tell her, “I just don’t want to get caught up in the moment and do something stupid.”   
I think of the mer bond I forced Cora into, and cringe. I still feel deeply guilty about that sometimes. Which is part of the reason why I’m always so careful not to get caught up in the moment. I refuse to do push her into something again.

I’m not brave enough to tell her what I really want. I know she has strong feelings for me, but that kind of commitment literally outlasts death. I am terrified of the thought of becoming her biggest regret.

She frowns, and I ache at the thought of upsetting her.

Coras POV  
I thought we had a moment, last night in the garden. I thought we understood each other, that we both realized we are in love.

Yet for some reason, Georgia thinks forming a bond would equate to doing something stupid. I know she still struggles with guilt from our impromptu mer bonding, but seriously. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, I want to bond with her in every way, and all she can think about is stopping things before they go too far.

Just once I want her to be the one who spirals out of control, who looses their grip of reality because she feels so good, she can’t even think.

I don’t know why I don’t just talk to her about this. She is usually the one who starts thinks, it’s just driving me insane that she’s unwilling to really finish it.

I know she’s worth the wait. But what if we just keep misunderstanding each other forever?

  
Dear diary  
Everything is so screwed up. This morning I woke to the sound of a car pulling in the driveway. It was my mom.

She ploughed into the house without so much as a knock on the door. I watched from the safety of my sublet, and cursed my bad luck. Lately I’ve been sleeping at Coras house, but her mom decided they needed a family movie night, and I took the hint. As much as I love Cora, we’re not bonded, so I’m not family.

I decided the best course of action would be to sprint to the beach, and hide in the ocean until she left.

I peered out between my curtains, and caught a glimpse of my mom. After all these years, so little has changed. She clads her short, curvy body in in tiny, colorful tops, and tight jeans that look as though they are under greater pressure than the seabed of the Mariana trench. Her face was painted in vivid streaks of red, black and blue, that contrasted like a bruise against her pasty pale face.

In short, I look nothing like my mom, and thank my lucky stars everyday.

I opened my window to climb out and make a run for it. A loud clash and startled scream stopped me in my tracks. I strained my hearing, trying to understand what was going on. My mom yelled loudly and I flinched at the sound. There was another crash, and my gran cried out in pain.

My moment of indecision was over. My mom has somewhat aggressive tendencies, which tend to shine through most brightly when she’s pissed off. I ran into the house, to find my gran curled up on the floor, while my mom kidded her stomach with a sinister-looking boot.

Adrenaline burst through my body in pierce torrents, like a dam wall collapsing, and dousing all my muscles in liquid fire. I wanted to kill her so badly, I wished with the darkest part of my soul that it was her whimpering on the floor, with my boot ramming into her ribs.

Without even making a sound, I slammed my fist into her the side of her head, and she collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. Instead of remorse, I felt pride at my retrained reaction.

I looked down at my gran. Blood trickled from her nostrils onto her warbled lip. I didn’t need to look closer to know she was dead.

All my emotions were on lockdown. I sat on the floor, and took a moment to asses my options. My mom killed her mom. I had walked in on the crime, but intercepted too late to save her. The murderer was unconscious on the floor. I knew how it would look if I called the police. They would stroll in see two people lying still on the floor, and a third sitting completely unharmed.

Fingers would be quick to point, and not at the guilty party.

Alternately, I could kill my mom, and hide both the bodies. The idea was sorely tempting. Wait till night, drag them into the ocean, and bury their bodies beneath a couple rocks. It would take a long time for the town to realize my gran had gone missing. I could even report it to the police station, say that she had a habit of wandering off. I would be free of suspicion, nothing but an innocent orphan.

None of those option felt right, and I realized why. No one even recognizes me for who I am, and as long as I made a run for it, I would have absolutely no associations with the crime.

My phone buzzed from my back pocket, and I jumped. My body was so tense I’m surprised the muscle didn’t jerk right off my bones.   
It was from Cora. Asking me to come home. Yes, I thought, I can worry about all this tomorrow, right now, I want to go home.

I took one more moment to look at my gran, and then my mom. I never really loved either of them. With a final kick to my mom’s head, I slunk out of the house, to the beach, and swum to Cora.

That is where I am now. We’re still sitting on the couch, but Cora has fallen asleep against my side. I love her so much it makes my stomach literally twist in pain. She is so beautiful, and young in a way I don’t think I ever was.

I told Toran what had happened as soon as Cora fell asleep. I didn’t want Cora to know that the monster that gave birth to me was capable of killing the senile pensioner that gave birth to her. The thought makes me feel dirty, like a thousand bugs have infiltrated my blood, and insidiously taint any goodness I have left. Cora deserves so much better than me.

Anyway. I’m not really sure why I’m writing a diary. Toran just brought me a book and a pen, and told me that writing down what happened would be the closest I’m getting to a therapist. I don’t know if this has helped though. I doubt it’s made it any worse.

This is Georgia, signing out.

  
Coras POV

“Hey,” I whisper, my lips fluttering against her cheek. “Wake up.”

The room is nearly pitch black. Her arm tightens instinctively around my waist as she slowly emerges from her slumber.

“Hi,” she smirks in a lazily rueful way. Her eyes are still half shut, and her hands rub comforting circles against my back that make me want to fall asleep in her arms.

“You’ve got a bit of a situation,” I tell her swallowing back a giggle.

She frowns, “What do u m-… oh.”   
I press my lips against hers, and I smile affectionately. “You appear to have grown your mermaid tale during the night. Don’t worry, it happens with young mers, while they are trying to find control.”

“I thought I had control,” she whines, and her tale shifts back to legs. Naked legs. I look away, not wanting to embarrass her, or let her see the bright blush across my cheeks.

Suddenly she laughs, and I look at her in surprise, “What?”

“You seem to be in a bit of a situation your self,” she exclaims, and bring her hand down to touch my mer tale.

I gasp in surprise. I must have been instinctively aware of my alphas physical state, and responded in kind. And I though I was embarrassed before. The fact that Georgia has this amount of control over me without even trying is… mortifying.

I look up to see Georgia grinning triumphantly, “Looks like I’m not the only one with control issues.”

I feel too humiliated to even respond.

“Hey, don’t look so bleak. This is how I feel almost all the time. Like if my body was a bus I’d only be a part time driver.”

I try to turn back, but it doesn’t seem to be working. I’m stuck with a tale and my bruised pride.

Suddenly I’m being lifted into the air. Georgia has me in her strong, long arms, and is carrying me towards the door, blankets and all.   
“Hey!” I yelp, flinging my arms round her neck.

“We’re going swimming!” she declares brightly, despite the late hour.

The beach looks completely stunning, illuminated by a nearly full moon. When we reach the water, Georgia makes quick work of untangling us from the bedding. She leaps into the water, me still in her arms, and an exhilarated laugh escapes me. We crash into the water, and a million bubbles cascade along our skin.

I sigh deeply at the feeling. It sounds pathetically cheesy, but there’s no place I would rather be. We swim deeper into the ocean and my heart swells with pride at the grace with which she moves. Georgia has come so far in the last couple weeks.

We head towards our favourite spot, a small underwater cave located about 700m off the shore. Georgia takes my hand halfway through the swim, and keeps glancing at me from the corner of her eye. I know something is bothering her, but I’m hesitant to break the peace by asking.

The cave is really nothing special. It rests on the ground like a hollowed out bolder, and more often than not we end up lying on top of it rather than in it.

Correa sits down on it, and pulls me gently into her lap. She’s so tall now, I fit between her arms like an overgrown child. She strokes her right hand along my tail, and uses her left to twirl my long, red-black hair. I rest my forehead against her neck and sigh in contentment.

“Do you ever wish… that our dimensions hadn’t merged.” She asks me quietly. “Humans… we cause a lot of shit. I’m sure your entire species was a lot beter without us.”

I smile wistfully at her.   
“I can’t imagine my dimension being able to give me a fraction of the happiness I find with you, so I’m gonna have to go with a firm no,” I kiss the pronounced arch of her cheek bone, and the sharp corner of her jaw line.  
“Although it’s probably worth pointing out that you aren’t human any more, so any flaws you thought were unique to mankind are more likely interspecies .”

I feel Georgia’s arms start to shake slightly and I realize she’s crying. I am taken completely by surprise. She pulls me in even closer, pressing her forehead against my shoulder, and began sobbing in earnest.

I freeze, completely clueless as to why she’s crying, or how to sooth her. I brush my tail against hers, and she hesitantly winds hers around mine. Even her tail is longer and stronger than mine, I think wistfully. With our bodies pressed this close, I can almost feel our pod bond pulsing between us.

She calms down after a few minutes. Her hands go back to carding through my hair, like I’m the one that needs comforting. The combination of her gentle caress and the rocking waves nearly has me nodding off to sleep. Georgia is quick to notice my drowsiness.

“Rest my love. I’ll take us home, don’t worry about anything. I’ve got you.”   
I’m swallowed by sweet oblivion.

  
Georgia’s POV

Cora feels so light in my arms. The journey back home is effortless, and she remains soundly asleep the entire time. I dress her in a nightgown, because it seems the least challenging of all her night time clothing. I slip on a pair of my pyjamas that have taken permanent residence in her house. I laid her down in her bed, but hesitated to climb in after her. Sure we have been sharing bed for months, but I seem to have a very specific phobia of moving too fast, and doing things she hasn’t given me permission to do.

I’m about to fetch a blanket to sleep on the ground, when Coras eyes blink open.   
“Come to bed,” she practically slurred, hooking her fingers round my wrist and pulling me towards her. I exhale heavily in relief. Lying with her in my arms, I don’t think there will ever be a time when I fail to appreciate how good it feels.

We fit together like an oxymoron; two different people who make just about as much sense together as they do apart.

I just want her to be safe, and happy. That’s all I have left in this world to pray for, and on nights like these I live in terror that all I can offer is not enough.

  
Coras POV   
“… was found dead in her beach cottage this morning. Neighbors expressed concern to the police the previous day, after a young woman forcefully entered the property, and began yelling at Ms Grey. The report was dismissed as a domestic dispute that lasted only a couple seconds. Police drove by this morning, to check if everything had settled, only to find two woman at the scene, one dead, and one unconscious. The second woman’s identification is unknown thus far…”

I switch the tv off. Georgia had told me what happened over breakfast, like it was the most blasé thing in the world. It didn’t even seem real till I saw it on TV, and I’m still struggling to comprehend it. No wonder Georgia broke down last night, most people would be a mad, hysterical mess, instead of her stoic calm. I’m not sure what behaviour would be healthier.

Georgia walks back into the room, and I thank my timing. In her hands she has a large tub of ice-cream, two spoons and our towels.

“Let’s go to the beach.” She says, and I smile my agreement.

We walk in silence, both of us thinking deeply. We reach the beach and she lays out our towels right beside a smooth bolder, so we eat the ice-cream upright.

She sit down first, and I take a deep breath of air for courage. Instead of sitting next to her like I usually do, I plopped my butt down between her legs, and leaned my back against her chest. I can feel her heart beating erratically, and smirk with satisfaction at a job well done.

“H-here,” she stutters slightly, “You can hold the tub.”

She places the icecream on my lap.  
“It’s cold,” I whine teasingly.   
“Don’t worry baby,” she coos, her legs tightening around mine, “I can keep you warm.”

I laugh, even though I know it’s not really a joke. “Just shut up and eat some ice-cream, before it melts.”   
Georgia happily obliges. After a couple minutes of contented eating, Georgia’s spoon halts halfway to the tub.

“What’s wrong,” I ask.   
“Tomorrows the full moon.” She pulls a face, “Its just weird that I can feel it. Like a buzzing in my blood, not sore, but uncomfortable… distracting.”

I’m not sure how to respond. When she first shifted into a panther, I dedicated a lot of my time to learning everything I could about the situation. Very little actually helped. From what I can gather, she shows the characteristics of an alpha; strong, deadly and in control. It would make sense, actually.

I kiss her arm quickly, to let her know I’m not afraid.   
“We can walk through the plantations tomorrow, so you can spend your change in the forest. Instead of cooped up in our garden like last time,” I offer.

“That’s okay,” she says, “it would be a very late night for you and we have school the next day.”

I huff in annoyance. School is bearable, but only just. Matthew still torments Georgia about her choice of “fuck buddy” as he calls it. A new kid is arriving at school tomorrow so at least there’s something mildly interesting happening.

Georgia ruffles my hair briefly, before wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.   
“You don’t need to worry about me,” she proclaims, “I’ve got us both covered.”

I grin at her arrogance, and press even further into her comforting embrace.

She sighs pitifully, saying, “We should head back. And get some real food to eat.”

“How dare you say that about ice cream?! I thought I knew you, but if that’s how you feel about my favourite meal then it’s all been a lie!” I laugh.

She stands up, and grins at me. Her hair looks like gold in the undulated sunlight, and the loose strands brush against the bronze skin of her shoulders. My stomach clenches in attraction, like a meek reminder that the girl I love is probably the most stunning creature in the whole galaxy.

She extends her hand and I take it. I hope with all my heart that we can spend a thousand more lazy morning eating ice cream under a carefree sun.

  
Georgia’s POV

Mrs Podmores classroom makes my eyes ache and my nose itch. The yellow walls are painted a meek Grey, that perfectly symbolize the painful monotony of high school English class. Mrs Podmore isn’t all that different from the unfortunate colour scheme. She’s the type of unimpressionable woman whose face doesn’t stay with you for longer than you are looking at it.

Which can make it very difficult to control a class full of hyped up public school teenagers, as we are today. The reason for our excitement is obvious… At any moment the new student will be walking into the room. I can’t help but pick up some of the enthusiasm, especially with Cora bouncing her legs in anticipation.

I hear them coming before I see them. The principal is telling him that he can go to her for anything he needs, and he must nod, because I don’t hear him respond.

Mrs Harvey opens the door, and he steps into the classroom, and I freeze with shock. It’s Jacob, oh my God, I’m so screwed.

He’s grown so much in the last two years, but I know it’s him without a doubt. He is at least a head taller. The chubby body of an awkward teenager has morphed into that of a man. My chest aches at the sight of his familiar face, and the cascade of memories that accompany it.

Cora notices my disconcertion immediately. We’re so attuned to each other, it’s not surprising.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“He’s an old friend.” I respond, after regaining control over my face, “If anyone will recognize me, it’ll be hi- ”

I falter as my gaze locks with his, and his eyes widen exponentially.

“What the-” he exclaimed, all blood draining from his face. I shake my head frantically, and pray the message is clear.

I watch him flounder for a moment longer, before visibly shaking the dazed expression from his visage.

“Um sorry,” he apologizes to the teacher. “For a second I thought I forgot my pencil. On the first day of school. I would have been so embarrassed,” he gushes, in a weirdly unperturbed tone.

Mrs Podmore, on the other hand, looks very unsure of how to respond.

“Just go sit down dear,” she warblers, dismissively.

Jacob hastens to oblige, striding towards the empty desk on my left, and sliding unceremoniously into his plastic seat.

He manages to keep quiet for a full five minutes, while Mrs pod more sets up the projector, and the class settle in to watch the second half of Romeo and Juliet.

As soon as the film starts he spins in his seat so violently he nearly overbalances the chair.

“What the fuck, Georgia?” he demands, flinging his hands in the air, and that overly expensive way that makes me warm with affection for him. I had got a fright when I first try Ed to reconcile his face with the one I remember, but in a simple gesture the two images merge into one.

I smile fondly at him, saying, “We probably should have kept in touch. I have way too much to tell you.”

Jacob is just staring at me, mouth slightly ajar.

“How did this even happen? And if you say a growth spurt I will bitch slap you.”

I contemplate my answer, “It’s a pretty intense storey… meet by the entrance after school, and we can work things out from there.”

He nods, and his eyes drift across to Cora. The urge to growl presses against my throat. I pull my hand out of hers, so I can drape a protective arm across her shoulders. Cora is very tense, and I realize how much this conversation probably stressed her out. I decide to belatedly introduce them.

“Cora,this is Jacob. He has a cottage just down the road for us, and used to come visit every holiday. Two years ago he just stopped coming, and the only reason I know he hadn’t died was because I asked his mom, and she said he was with his dad.” Jacob looks like he wants to interrupt, but I plough onwards.   
“Jacob this is Cora, my girlfriend. And pod mate.”

Jacob looks confused, and my stomach clenched nervously in anticipation of his reaction.

“What do you mean pod mate? How is that possible?” he queries.

I blush despite myself.   
“Somehow I turned into a mermaid over the holidays, and initiated a pod bond between us,” I rush out, cringing at how insane it sounded.

“WHAT?” he practically yells. Half the class turn to look at us, and I hush him nervously.   
“I’ll tell you the whole storey after school, okay? Till then, try being a bit more inconspicuous.”

  
Coras POV

Georgia is terrible at explaining things. The fact that we ourselves don’t really understand her situation really doesn’t help. Jacob is pulling a weird expression by the end of Georgia’s explication, like he wouldn’t believe her if the evidence wasn’t standing before him.

We walked from school to the beach, and the three of us sit on the sand and stare out to sea.

Something about Jacob unsettles me, like a fish with its scales rubbed the wrong way. It’s not distrust for him, but discomfort at the condemning glances he keeps shooting my way.

Is it permanent?” he asks eventually, and I lean against Georgia’s side, subconsciously seeking her protection.

Georgia wraps an arm around my waist without a thought, and Jacob’s expression turns even more perplexed.

“It is so far,” Georgia smiles wanly.

“I have a million questions for you,” he informs her.

“I’d much prefer if you had a million answer,” she responds wistfully, “I have no idea how this happened to me, or even why,” she takes a contemplative pause.   
“I’m not just a mer. Last month I also shifted into a panther. It’ll probably happen again tonight.”

He gapes for a second, then his face breaks out into a grin.   
“No freaking way,” he laughs, “This is actually perfect. My boyfriend is also a shifter, I was gonna visit tonight to watch.”

A tight ball of anxiety in my chest crumbles, like a sand castle in a thunderstorm. Gay. At least that puts one of my concerns to rest.

Georgia smirks, “Aww, that’s so cute. Who is the special boy? ”

Jacob blushes, and mumbles, “His names Craig. He moved in to a house a couple minutes walk from here, but he’s home schooled, so you probably don’t know him.”

Georgia shrugs. Jacob clears his throat, his cheeks still crimson.

“So do you want to come over? I know the change can be stressful, and really hard to control. His mom takes sleeping tablets so she’s unconscious for the whole thing, but he says he enjoys the change too much to miss it. They’ve got a decent sized garden, with super high walls so he doesn’t escape and go terrorize the townsfolk.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Georgia says hesitantly, “What do you think.”   
It takes me a moment to realize she’s talking to me.

“It’s not a horrible idea,” I say, remembering her frustrated pacing and sad eyes from the month before.

She smiles at me, and hugs me against her side. It’s insane how much her arms make me feel safe and loved. I can feel her diaphragm shakily relax as she exhales.   
“Let’s do it then.” She says, and kisses my cheek. Her lips feel as soft as the first breeze of autumn, and infinitely more gentle in their caress.   
I look up at the sky, and note how far the sun has already fallen.   
“We should go now then,” I suggest, “We don’t have long before the sun sets.”

Jacob leads the way to his boyfriends house. My legs ache like a mild reminder of how many days it’s been since I swam. I wonder if Georgia feels the same longing to throw aside her clothes and disappear into the welcoming ocean together. Probably not, I think, the moon probably feels sufficiently distracting right now.

Jacob and Georgia chat for most of the walk there. They talk about how he met his boyfriend, and why he decided to move in with his mom. I hardly pay attention. My stomach rattles with nerves, and I grip Georgia’s hand like a lifeline. I feel completely out of my depth, and I don’t even know why. Georgia senses my discomfort, and rubs consoling circles against my hand with her thumb.

When we reach Craig’s house, we get the second surprise of the day. Jacob knocks on the door of a very middle class house, and the boy to open it is none other than the one who walked in on Georgia and I making out on the beach all those months ago.

I can see by his expression that he recognizes us immediately. Cora snorts, and I realize she is trying not to laugh at the absurd situation. Jacob appears completely oblivious as he introduces us all. Soon Georgia is full out laughing, and Craig and I are quick to join in.

“What’s so funny,” Jacob asks, looking completely perplexed, “Do you three know each other?”

“Not formally,” Craig says, grinning widely, “Come on inside, I’ll make us something to drink and we can talk.”

We follow him into the house, which looks just as remarkable on the inside as it is on the outside.

“My mom’s already asleep, so we don’t have to worry about being overheard.” He says, leading us into a quaint kitchen.   
“Can I get you guys any thing to drink?” he offers politely.

Georgia and I decline, while Jacob asks for water. Georgia tugs on my arm, and gently pulls me out the kitchen.   
“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She surges forward, and presses her lips against mine. I shiver in a way that vibrates through my entire body. She cradles my head in her powerful hands, and angles it so our mouths slot together with fateful perfection. The way she drags her tongue across mine has me arching towards her for more.

With a jolt, I realize we are in a complete strangers house, who as already seen us making out like this before. I pull back, and stare reverently at her dark silver eyes and pointed teeth.

She chortles at my expression.   
“I can never control my self around you,” she laments, “You drive me insane.”

I grin at her, feeling irrationally proud at her words. She nibbles my neck in a way that’s meant to be playful, but honestly just makes me desperate for more.

She steps back from me just as the boys exit the kitchen. I see Craig eyeing Georgia sceptically. Jacob must have told him about her dual mermaid/ shifter capabilities, and it looks like he won’t be believing it until he sees it.

Suddenly he flinches and his face pales.   
“Oh shit,” he chokes out, collapsing to his knees.   
“Craig!” Jacob cries, reaching for his boyfriend.   
“Get back!” he bites out, looking terrified, “Run.”   
Georgia takes an unsteady step towards him, her face pained.   
“Get out, guys, I’ve got this under control,” she orders.

Jacob looks ready to argue, but I know beter than to ignore her. Not that I really can, when she uses her alpha voice like that. I yank Jacob forcefully out the room, and slam the door shut behind us. I plant myself firmly in front of the door, and resolve not to move.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” he yells at me, “I need to help her, he’s a lion shifter, he’s going to tear her apart!” Jacob is completely hysterical. He tries to shove me out the way, but my enhanced mer muscles keep me from budging. I know Georgia will have it all sorted out within the next minute; my confidence in her is as unwavering as my stance. I have faith in her strength, I’ve seen it for myself. If anyone was in trouble, it’s Craig.

  
Georgia’s POV

As soon as they leave the room, he relinquishes control of his humanity. His face twists, his limbs crack, his muscles bulge and his body contorts painfully. His Jaws open in a silent raw, and a few seconds later the transformation is complete. I am completely horrified at how long it took, and how graphic it had been. Did Cora have to watch that happen to me?

My concerns are cut off by his deep, throaty growl. He looks exactly how a lion should look, expect for his faintly glowing blue eyes. He sniffs the air, growls again, and takes a massive leap towards me before I can even comprehend why he’s attacking. Thankfully, my body is a lot more alert than I am. In a second, I have transformed, and swatt him to the side with my massive paw.

Adrenaline floods my system, along with a thousand animal instincts I don’t have time to shift through. Craig comes at me again, and this time I am ready. At over twice his size, and multiple times faster than him, I have him pinned down with nearly no effort. He tries to struggle, so I snap threateningly at his neck.

Craig goes lip beneath me, submitting. I am bombarded by the urge to bite down on his neck for real, to form a pack with him. He is strong, I think, a worthy companion. And look how still he lies beneath me… he knows that I am alpha, the lion in him wants to join my pack.

Something is stopping me, though. The memory of Cora comes rushing forward, and how I regret taking the decision from her. I feel deeply saddened at the thought of letting this opportunity pass me by, but Coras face gives me the strength to move away from Craig.

The lion looks up at me, confused. He really did want to be in my pack, I realize hopefully. He walks to me cautiously, eyes lowered in careful respect. When he reaches my feet he lays down and lick my paw. He rolls over onto his back, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a way that looks ridiculously adorable.

The door creeks open, and my head snaps towards it. Cora peers at me through the small gap she’s opened.   
“Is it over?” she asks, and I nod. She strides in, followed by a very upset looking Jacob. When he sees me he squeaks in alarm. Craig growls at the prey-like sound, and I gravitate closer to him.

I remember reading that having an alphas presence can grant the pack mate near immaculate control on full moons. Just being around me should be enough to draw his humanity closer to the surface. Sure enough, I watch as his glowing blue eyes fade to their everyday colour and purr with success.

“Craig?” Jacob calls hesitantly, and the lion nods numbly in response. It occurs to me that this is probably the first time he’s been in control of his body on a full moon. The shock he is feeling is abundantly justified.

Jacob shuffles guardedly over, afraid any sudden movements could set him off. I am not concerned. As long as I am in the room, Craig will not go against my wishes. I quietly hypothesize that a land shifter alpha has a lot more control over their pack mates than mer alphas do. I’ve certainly never felt this level of authority over Cora.

Jacob reaches his hand out towards Craig’s face. When his fingers aren’t immediately ingested, Jacob inhales sharply and breaches the remaining distance. He runs his hand across Craig’s mane, and the lion gives an elated purr.

Jacob laughs, his voice heavy with emotion.   
“This is bloody amazing,” he informs us, “I’ve watched Craig turn a dozen times, but I never dreamed I would be able to…” He throws his arms around Craig’s shoulders, and I smell the tears rolling off his cheeks into his fur.   
“God I love you so much,” he gushes, his voice as thin as frost.

I walk over to Cora, who’s standing off to the side of the room, looking lost. When she sees me coming she smiles brightly.

Coras POV  
We look at each other for a long moment, standing at eye level and less that an inch apart. I feel like I’m standing before an ancient Greek God, inhumanly beautiful, mortally flawed, and brimming with unexplored power. I raise my hands to the sides of her face, and the muscles jump beneath her fur. It’s so soft I feel heinously privileged to touch it, and pet it, and caress it the way I am.

Her ears twitch, and that’s all the warning I get before her massive tongue licks all the way down my face. I laugh in surprise, and the moment is abruptly over.

We watch Jacob and Craig for a few more minutes, before Georgia whines adorable and walks over. Jacob jumps, and I don’t bother muffling my laugh. From the moment I saw panther Georgia, she seemed impossibly adorable. Looking at her from Jacob’s perspective, I can see how a sleek black, larger-than-a-horse sized panther would probably be the most intimidating thing the average person could ever see.

She walks right up to Jacob, and he gulps as he looks up to her eyes. Georgia licks his cheek, and some of the fear melts from his face.  
“Your pretty damn scary,” he informs her meekly. Georgia warbles in a way I know is a laugh, but makes Jacob look like he wants to make a run for it.

“Don’t worry,” I tell him, “Georgia’s completely in control.”

She nods, and purrs comfortingly. Craig responds with a purr of his own, and the two humans in the room laugh. Georgia strolls over to Craig, and licks his ear consolingly. He looks up at her with an emotion I can feel is undulated adoration. A plan bursts merrily to life in the back of my mind, and I elect to ignore it for the time being.

Georgia walks towards the back door, and Craig follows. She’s taking him to the garden, I realize. Curiosity insists that I follow. I walk across the lounge, and out the door. They have an impressively large garden, not that I can see much in the encroaching darkness. They have one massive, foreign looking tree in the centre of the garden, upon which Georgia and Craig are already playing. They leap from branch to branch, playfully snapping Jaws and swatting paws. It warms my heart to see how careful Georgia is not to get carried away in the game and hurt Craig.

I ache to be up there with her, to be part of her pack as well as her pod. For a second jealousy sets in, and I feel to weak willed to stop it. Suddenly Jacob walks up beside me, and wraps a surprisingly comforting arm across my shoulders.   
“Sucks to be us, right,” he laments, and I nod in quiet agreement.   
“Come on,” he says with false enthusiasm, “Let’s go find some mindless drivel to watch, while we wait for our loved ones to come back to us.”

I smile at him forlornly, finally starting to see why Georgia and him had been such good friends. I hope we can be friends too.

Georgia’s POV

School has become a lot more bearable since the full moon. Craig transferred to our Highschool within a week, and now the four of us go everywhere together. I almost feel like a real alpha now. I still feel a hole in my heart through, like my pack isn’t quiet complete. Maybe it has something to do with Jacob being a human, and the fact that I haven’t officially bonded Craig yet. I try not to let it bother me.

This afternoon we decided to do our home work at Coras house. We sprawl out in the lounge, books and pencils covering most surfaces. Cora tries to keep up a consistent flow of snacks, but three shifters and a teenage boy can eat like you wouldn’t believe.

“Hey, u-umm… Georgia,” Craig stutters. I look up from my physics homework.   
“I wanted to- uh- ask you something, but it’s really fine if you say no,” I raise my eyebrows in surprise at his nervous tone, flushed face and fidgeting hands.   
“Anything,” I assure him, and he looks down in embarrassment.   
“I had hoped that… well if you didn’t mind… please could you… or at least consider… ” he rambles.

Jacob mercifully interjects.   
“He wants to be in your back,” he states.

My heart thumps excitedly.   
“Really?” I ask, grinning widely.

He nods, looking uncharacteristically emotional.   
“If you don’t mind too much,” he adds self-deprecatingly.

“It would be such an honour,” I say emotionally, walking over and hugging his hunched figure.   
“The only reason I haven’t bitten you already is because I wanted it to be your choice. It should always be your choice.”

My cheeks burn with shame, and I avoid Coras eyes.   
“Please… just tell me when you are ready, and we’ll do it.”

“Now,” he blurts out, “I’m ready now.”   
I refrain from asking if he’s sure. He’s look of conviction tells me such a question would be insulting. I abruptly remember this decision affect more than just the two of us. I look up, to find identical looks of affection and excitement on Cora and Jacob’s face. I can feel the shifter awakening beneath my skin, and rising to the surface. Cora nods encouragingly, and I hand my body over to its instincts.

My body shifts with the fluid effortlessness I know now not to take for granted. Craig instinctively changes too, and I’m reminded fondly of the mer tale incident a few nights back.

We must look so odd next to each other, a giant panther and full grown lion standing casually in the middle of the lounge. I bend down and lick his neck; he whimpers softly in response. The sound acts like a trigger, because my teeth bury themselves in his skin a second later. He releases an animalistic cry, and his legs give way beneath him. I lay him down gently, and try to ignore the temptation to withdraw my teeth from his neck. If I did let him go now, we would only ever be alpha and beta. If he bites me in return, we can be pack mates as well. I stand like this for a full minute, towering over his submissively limp form. I start feeling agitated, I’m not sure how much longer I can wait. I tentatively try out the new bond, sending my thoughts and desires from my mind to his. Remarkably, this appears to work. He raises his head slowly, and licks gently at my neck, undoubtedly waiting for a reaction. When I don’t give one, he draws forth all his courage and gently punctures my skin. The change is immediate; his intense fear gives way to respectful caution, and the powerful mental hold I had over him is loosened. Only now do I unclench my jaw.

I waste no time morphing back into a human, and Craig unconsciously follows my lead. I look over at our spectators, and feel unsurprised by their expressions. Jacob, having never seen anything like this, looks very scared and slightly horrified. Cora, on the other hand, is beaming at me proudly. She understands the significance of my patience in a way a human never will.

Cora rushes over and kisses me joviality on the nose, glowing with happiness.   
“I can feel the bond too,” she sings, “He’s really one of us now, we’re all one big family!”

“Not quite,” I say, eyeing Jacob in a way that unnerves him.   
“You can’t pack bond with me… I’m human!” he protests.

“So was I,” i say thoughtfully, “maybe the universe will make special rules for you, too. ”

Coras pov

Jacob looks sceptical. I can see by the defensive way he sits in front of Craig, that he thinks Georgia has harmed his loved one.

Craig seems to be slowly regaining awareness. His eyes blink open, and a lazy smile stretches across his face.   
“God this feels amazing,” he sighs, and I can’t help but nod in agreement. Land shifters benefit astronomically from having an alpha… they become stronger, faster, smarter, more in control. Right now he probably feels higher than he ever has before, like a blind man suddenly being granted sight. Craig is a very lucky guy. He gets all the pros of having an alpha without the control and authority most alphas have over their betas.

Georgia is such an amazing person, I think. Even given the opportunity to have ultimate power over another creature, she would rather we all stand as equals.

Jacob is looking at Craig in concern.   
“How can you feel good right now, when you looked half dead a minute ago.”   
Craig smiles dazedly at Georgia.   
“I have the best alpha in the world,” he grins, “I was completely ready to submit to you, and I’m sure it would have been great to be your beta. But right now,” he throws his arms into the air and giggles, “I feel like a god!”

Jacob’s eyes widen in horror.   
“What the fuck did you do to him, Georgia?” he snaps.

“I gave him more freedom than he was expecting,” she states, looking at Craig fondly, “He’s on a bit of a power high right now, he’ll stabilize in a minute.”

“Don’t worry baby,” Craig coos, stroking Jacob’s hair.   
“I will explain everything later,” he says, and promptly falls asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
